Abstract

In the United Kingdom, as elsewhere, prison is commonly seen as the best means of dealing with offenders. There is little debate about alternatives to prison and little awareness of what kinds of individuals are actually incarcerated and for what offences; nor are their experiences of prison generally understood. The essays in this book range widely over these issues. The main focus is the British situation, but there is also discussion of alternatives – chain gangs, electronic tagging – experimented with elsewhere.

This book was produced in association with the International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research at the Open University and with the support the Restorative Justice Programme of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.